IRELAND WILL FOLLOW EU ON IMPORT BAN OF BURMESE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000057 SIPDIS SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO EAP/MLS AARON COPE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2018 TAGS: PREL ETRD PHUM BM EI SUBJECT: IRELAND WILL FOLLOW EU ON IMPORT BAN OF BURMESE GEMS AND HARDWOODS REF: SECSTATE 5276 Classified By: Political/Economic Chief Theodore Pierce for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Ireland shares the USG's concerns regarding Burma and will implement the European Council decision to restrict investment and trade in the mining and logging sectors with Burma once the EU Commission finalizes the regulations for implementation, according to Isolde Moylan, Director, Asia and Oceania Division, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), with whom POLOFF met on January 25. Moylan said that the issue was currently under discussion within the EU Commission but she could not estimate when a decision would be made. ¶2. (C) In a follow up meeting on January 30 with the DFA Asia and Oceania Deputy Director Conleth Brady, POLOFF confirmed that the designation of three Burmese state-owned banks was not discussed during the January GAERC meeting. Brady suggested that this issue was not likely to be addressed until April, when the EU's Common Position on Burma would be renewed. FOLEY